Sabotage
by Demigod18
Summary: Victoria Hope Winston is from a family of rebels. Her family has one life mission: to take down the monarchy. So when the Selection is announced, Tori signs up, seeing it as the perfect opportunity to fulfill her family's dream. But what happens when Tori falls for the Prince? SYOC open.
1. Chapter 1

**Sabotage**

 **Chapter 1**

 **I do not own the Selection**

 **Jackson's POV**

 _44 years ago..._

It all started on June 6th. 9 year old Jackson couldn't be happier to be out of school for two months. The day had been great so far. Both of his sisters were still at boarding school across the country in Calgary, so it was only the two brothers. Jackson had been woken up by his 22 year old brother Tyler and taken to the beach. The bright, beaming sun was just like Jackson's happy mood. He felt like nothing could bring him down.

The mail had just been delivered. Tyler, his dad, and his mom sat on the couch, sorting through junk mail. Jackson happily sat on the floor, playing with his newest LEGO set. Tyler's smile quickly disappeared, after reading the address on the crisp white envelope. He showed it to his parents, who frowned in return.

"Jack, honey, why don't you go upstairs and change into your pajamas? After that, you can have half an hour of computer time," his mother said.

Not knowing any better, Jackson got up from the floor and ran upstairs, happy to have his father's brand new computer all to himself. He quickly pulled on his fire truck pajamas and padded over to his father's office.

He pushed the power button several times, but after a while he decided to go downstairs to ask his parents. Jackson started down the stairs, but stopped after hearing his mother crying.

"Stay safe, okay?" His mother said to Tyler.

"Of course," his brother replied.

"Good luck son," his father said.

The next question surprised Jackson, even though he was too young to understand what was going on.

"When are we going to tell Jack?"

"Now, I guess," Tyler's voice replied. Jackson heard his brother get up and his footsteps advancing towards the stairs. Jack rushed back upstairs to his bedroom and pretended to be playing with his dinosaur.

"Hey buddy," Tyler walked in and sat on the bed.

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" Jack asked, his green eyes filled with curiosity.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to leave for a while."

"Where are you going?" The innocent 9 year old asked.

"To New Asia. I'm in the army now."

"Why?"

"Because they need me."

"Why?"

"So we can defeat New Asia and there won't be any rebels."

"That's good."

"It is, "Tyler patted Jack on the back and stood up.

"Goodnight," Tyler said before walking out the door.

"Goodnight," Jackson said happily.

The next morning, Jackson got up to find Tyler packing his suitcase.

"Are you leaving now?" He asked.

"Yes," Tyler replied.

"But you'll be back, right?" Jackson stared up at his brother, his wife eyes full of hope.

"Of course," his big brother enveloped Jackson into a hug.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The taxi outside honked his horn. Tyler stood up and started to leave.

"Be a good boy for Mom and Dad, okay?"

Jackson nodded and Tyler gave one last wave before walking out of the door.

Over the years, Tyler started to come home less and less. He started missing Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. They only saw him twice a year, at most. Jackson, now 16, started to become more and more separated from his family. More than he cared to admit, his brother being gone most of the time took a huge toll on him.

One day, a loud knock was heard on the front door. Jackson's mom went over to open it. Standing outside were two men in military uniforms. Jackson stopped in his tracks and hid by the stairs so he could hear what they were talking about.

"We're very sorry to inform you ma'am, but we have some bad news concerning Tyler."

Jackson gasped, and the worst possible scenario hit his mind. _No, no, he can't be dead_ , Jackson mentally reassured himself.

"What happened?" His mother's worried voice floated up the stairs.

"Um...well...it seems that Tyler has gone MIA."

"Missing?! How could that be?" His mom said in surprise.

"The New Asians can be very harsh," one of the men said.

"Ok, thank you for informing us," his mom said sadly. She closed the door and leaned against it, tears leaking out of her eyes. Jackson silently ran back to his room, tears flowing down his face.

He locked his door and lay on his bed, refusing to answer when anyone knocked.

Three years later, there was still no news on Jackson's brother. Jackson had become more and more separated from his family. He spent most of his time locked in his room with music blasting out all of his feelings.

Through all of his sadness, Jackson hadn't heard the knock on the door. Not until an ear piercing cry of sadness broke through the music. He turned it off immediately and went downstairs to see what was wrong. His family was in a tight hug, tears falling out of their eyes. He knew the worst had happened.

"He's dead."

Even though Jackson had already figured it out, his father's words were what made him break. He ran back to his room and locked the door. He sat against his window, letting his emotions out. He felt like someone had tore his heart and soul in half. The rain pounding against the window only made him feel worse. The gloomy day and grey skies reflected his mood.

After he felt like he couldn't cry anymore, he stood up, feeling angry. _Why did it have to be Tyler?_ Jackson picked up a picture of him and Tyler. Remembering his brother was like a stab in his chest. He slammed the picture to the ground, shattering the glass. The loud noise caused his parents to come up, but he ignored them. The glass wasn't enough for Jackson. He picked up the picture and ripped it into tiny pieces.

Suddenly, all his memories of his brother came flooding back. He couldn't take it anymore. He threw everything on his desk onto the ground, the noise drowning out his sadness.

Even though everything in his sight was broken, he still didn't feel satisfied. He punched the wall as hard as he could. His fist burned, but he didn't care. The small dent on the wall wasn't good enough for him. He punched it a few more times, causing a bigger dent to form. He lay on his bed, catching his breath.

He decided he was fine and wanted to go downstairs.

"How can they do this?" His mom asked.

"The stupid government didn't even try to find him. And it wasn't just Tyler, about a hundred soldiers were captured. But they were just focused on winning the war," his dad said angrily.

"Maybe those rebels are right. The government isn't doing what it should," his mom said.

"What happened to him?" Jackson said, refusing to say his brother's name. After hours of not using it, his voice sounded hoarse and quiet.

His parents exchanged glances, before his father nodded.

"I guess you deserve to know," his father said. "Tyler was captured in New Asia."

Jackson cringed at the sound of his name.

"The government did nothing about it, even though a hundred people were captured. They don't really know how he died, but it was probably through torture or hunger."

"Basically he suffered," Jackson said. His parents nodded sadly.

"Was it the government's fault?" Jackson asked.

"I would say most of it was," his father sighed. "They might not have been able to save them, but they could have done much more."

Jackson excused himself and went back upstairs. He was mad, mad at the government for not saving Tyler, but even more at Tyler for not keeping his promise.

He punched the wall again. _How could he do this to me?_ Jackson thought. _He promised he would come back._

Soon, Jackson realized why Tyler couldn't keep his promise, because of the government. Pure anger and hatred filled him.

 _He would have been at home right now if it wasn't for the stupid monarchy,_ Jackson realized. _It's all their fault._

That was when Jackson Edward Winston decided to become a rebel.

 **Hello readers! This is my second fanfiction. Hope you liked the first chapter.**

 **So this story is about Tori, who is Jackson's daughter. She was raised as a rebel and they live in a community that the royals don't know is filled with rebels. This chapter was just a flashback from Jackson's past. I wrote it mainly to explain why Tori and her family are rebels.**

 **Illèan Royal Family:**

 **King William Thomas Westbrook-56**

 **Queen Adelaide Noelle Westbrook-54**

 **Prince Zachary (Zack) Emerson Westbrook-19**

 **Princess Annemarie (Annie, Anna, AJ) Joy Westbrook-16**

 **Prince Samuel (Sam) Jacob Westbrook-11**

 **Princess Haley Grace Westbrook (older twin)-6**

 **Princess Cassandra (Cassie) Rose Westbrook (younger twin)-6**

 **This is an SYOC, and I will be accepting 25 characters. The form is on my bio. Have fun creating!**

 **Rules:**

 **-Please PM me the character. I will look at ones in the review section, but I may need to contact you so I will more likely choose ones people have sent me through PM.**

 **-I might have to change the province if someone has already chosen it.**

 **-There is no limit to how many characters you can submit.**

 **Also, if anyone is interested in creating a royal family for France, Italy, New Asia, or any other country except Swendway and Illèa, PM me.**

 **Love you guys!**  
 **~Demigod18**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sabotage**

 **Chapter 2**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Zack's POV

Today was a Friday, a Report day. But this Report was special. I was being forced to announce my Selection. As the heir to the Illèan throne, I had to hold a Selection when I turned 19, which was only a few days ago, on June 9th. Even though I really didn't want to have a Selection, I had to. I told my dad this but I only got a lecture on why it was important.

Today was also the day of the week that Mom had chosen for family bonding time. We were on our horses riding back from our private beach where Mom and Dad had set up a picnic. Mom was scolding Sam for scaring Haley and Cassie by telling them that there was a water monster that loved eating princesses with blonde hair. Annie was reading a book, while riding the horse. She had lots of practice. I wouldn't exactly call it bonding.

We rode back to the palace and put the horses away. It was unfortunately almost time for the Report. I put on my suit and looked in the mirror.

Cassie ran into my room and jumped on my back.

"Could you knock next time?" I asked. She nodded. Out of all my siblings, Cassie was my favorite. The others were all loud, but Cassie was sweet and innocent. I had a soft spot for her.

"Mommy says you have to come downstairs. The Report is starting soon," Cassie said. She and Haley couldn't pronounce their r's yet, so everything they said sounded really cute. I smiled at her and walked out of the room with my youngest sister on my back.

We went into the Report room and I took Cassie off of my shoulders. I held her by the legs and swung her around in circles until she started shrieking and Mom told me to stop. I placed Cassie down in her seat next to Haley and sat down next to Mom and Annie.

The cameraman signaled the countdown and the recording light switched on. The anthem started playing.

"Good morning Illèa!" Zoe exclaimed. She put on a bright smile and sat down. "Before we talk about our special announcement, the king and queen have a few things to talk about concerning rebels."

Mom and Dad took each other's hand and slowly walked down to the stage area.

"Unfortunately, there have been several rebel attacks in the last month. But we are succeeding in suppressing the activity, and the number of attacks in the last week has dropped by 20 percent," Dad said.

"That's great!" Zoe said. "Do you think we are getting closer to eliminating the rebels?"

"I don't know about getting rid of them completely," Mom started. "But we are definitely getting closer."

There were a few more announcements about finance and rebels before Zoe called me down to the stage.

"And now, we have a very special announcement from our crown prince, Zachary Westbrook."

I took a deep breath and smiled before standing up and walking down the stairs. The ten small stairs seemed endless as I slowly walked down. I knew I was ready.

Tori's POV

Today had been a depressing day. It had been 44 years since Dad's brother Tyler had died. Even though I had never met him, I could tell he was one of my dad's favorite people. Although it was sunny and bright outside, everyone in the Winston house was somber and said very little.

After we had all eaten breakfast, half of us went with Dad and the other half with Alex. I got into Dad's car with Sadie and Connor. Being the oldest child, I got the shotgun. It was a long drive, so we fell asleep pretty quickly.

I opened my eyes after hearing a sniffling sound. I turned around, to find Dad with his head on the steering wheel, tears leaking out of his eyes. I felt a pang of sadness as I reached over to give him a hug.

"It's okay Dad," I whispered, trying not to wake up anyone else. He nodded and wiped away his tears.

"Thanks sweetie," he smiled. Dad rarely ever cried, and the few times he had, it was something serious. Like when I broke my ankle in third grade after falling off the monkey bars, or when Mom was in the hospital after Sadie was born and they weren't sure if she would survive or not.

We soon got to the graveyard. It was kind of depressing, even with the colorful flowers planted near the entrance. We went in and put our flowers by the gravestone.

Mom motioned for us to go back to the car to give Dad a little time to himself. We stayed quiet and waited by the car. Dad joined us soon and we went to get lunch. Even though I loved Dad, I kind of hated the anniversary of his brother's death. I get that it was good to pay our respects and all, but everyone was so quiet and depressed. Dad hadn't said more than 10 words today.

We got home close to dinnertime, everyone still pretty quiet. I turned the Report on in hopes to cheer everyone up. It worked.

"Yay! The Report!" Sadie squealed and jumped on the couch. Soon, everyone was gathered around the couch. The Report was perfect for rebels, since they basically spent half the show talking about rebel activity.

Mom brought our dinner into the living room as we stared at the screen intently. A picture of the royal family appeared as the anthem started playing in the background. The King and Queen were smiling peacefully, Prince Zack was smirking, as always, Princess Annie was beaming with a book in her lap, Prince Sam wore a mischievous grin, while the twins were smiling adorably.

I zoned out for a bit, but snapped back to attention after hearing the word rebel.

"There have been several rebel attacks in the past month," the Queen said. We all cheered.

"But we are succeeding in suppressing the attacks," she continued. There was a chorus of boos.

"They wish," Connor smirked. "Doesn't Uncle Andrew have another attack planned?"

Andrew was the leader of the southern rebels and the role model of our family. He lived in the same community we did and coincidentally was Dad's best friend in high school. We were so close to him we called him Uncle.

"More than one, actually," Dad replied. "He's advancing in a few days. Nothing serious though, not until we are prepared."

I turned my attention back to the screen, where Prince Zack was standing next to Zoe.

I was a little surprised, since the crown prince never had anything to talk about. He flashed his signature smirk and I rolled my eyes. The crown prince was immature and annoying. He was such a playboy and never took anything The seriously. If I wasn't a rebel, I would move out of the country when he became king. I was curious as to the stupid decisions he would make later on.

"As the crown prince of Illéa, it is my duty to find a great queen for the country, as well as a great wife. Since I have recently turned 19, I am happy to announce it is time for me to hold my Selection," Zack started his speech, his emerald eyes staring straight at the camera. He still wore his smirk.

"You should enter!" Connor exclaimed. Everyone stopped talking and have him a weird look.

"Why would she do that?" Kaitlyn asked. "We want to attack them, not fall in love with them."

"Well duh," Connor rolled his eyes. "Think about it, it would be a great way for Tori to learn more about the royals and have them let their guard down."

"That's actually a very good idea, son," Dad said. "But I don't think I'm comfortable with letting Tori be there by herself. What if they discover she's a rebel?"

"But Daddy, what if Tori falls in love with the Prince?" Sadie asked.

"Yeah right," I tried to suppress my giggles. "Have you seen the Prince before? I would never fall for someone with his attitude."

"She's right Sadie," Dad agreed. "She's a rebel, she could never fall for a royal."

"I'll sign up then," I said. "This should be fun."

"I don't think you should," Dad said. "It's not safe."

"Don't worry about Tori," Mom interrupted. "She's a brave girl and is perfectly capable of taking care of herself."

"Still, so many things could happen to her."

"Ok, we'll have this discussion later. It's time for bed."

Everyone groaned, but Mom just smiled. We said goodnight and went upstairs to our rooms.

I was about to get in bed when I heard a knock. "Come in!" I called. My twin walked in and sat on the bed.

"You know the only reason Dad doesn't want you to enter is because you're special to him. You're his baby girl, and he doesn't want to let you go."

"Do you think I should?" I asked. Connor nodded immediately.

"I think it would be a good idea for all of us to see what life outside a rebel community is. We've never been farther than Grandma and Grandpa's house, and they only live four hours away. Plus, it could definitely help us take down the monarchy."

"Thanks Connor," I smiled genuinely. I could always count on my brother for advice. He was the wise one in the family. I reached over and gave him a hug before he left.

I snuggled under the fluffy covers and sank into my bed. I thought about the Selection. Connor was right. We had never been out of Clermont. I needed to see what life was like outside of our home. I also really wanted to help defeat the royals. They obviously didn't care about the people.

I had made up my mind. I was going to enter the Selection.

 **Hello readers! Thanks to** Fairy Lori **,** Deeptha13 **,** .just. **,** wolfofstark **, and** PercyjacksonRxs **for reviewing! Also thanks to** Fairy Lori **,** Moonlit Crossroads **,** MushtcheNinja29 **,** PercyjacksonRxs **, and** wolfofstark **for following and** Fairy Lori **for favoriting!**

 **So far I have 11 characters! Thanks to** PercyjacksonRxs **,** .just. **,** wolfofstark **,** BellaRosa17 **,** devonnlove **, and** MushtcheNinja29 **for submitting!**

 **Lastly, thanks to** Fairy Lori **and** .just. **for submitting royal families.**

 **Sorry for the long update time. I've been at my grandparents house for the past two weeks and they have really slow internet.**

 **Happy New Year!**

 **~Demigod18**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sabotage**

 **Chapter 3**

 **I do not own the Selection**

Celaena Aralynn Eywlle, 6, Belcourt

(*written by .just. *)

Hanging up my coat, I called out into the dark apartment I occasionally shared with my boyfriend. "Percy! I'm home!"

There was no response. Just an eerie silence.

My black mid-calf length heeled boots clicked on the old wood floors, usually he was home before I was. "Percy?" I asked, my voice echoing through the halls.

After I reached the end of the hallway, I pushed open the door to his room. My mind couldn't even process the scene that played out before me. My eyes widened and my jaw hit the floor with a thud.

Chloe Nicholson, one of my friends but also the s*** of this part of Belcourt, was pressed up against _MY_ boyfriend. Kissing him, adorned in only her lingerie, her hands tugging at the hem of his shirt.

Percy opened his eyes, and they locked onto me in complete shock.

"What the hell?" My purse hit the floor, and I felt tears pricking at the corner of my eyes. No. I wouldn't cry. I slowly turned around, picked up my purse, and exited the room.

"Celaena! Wait!" He called out, running his fingers through his raven hair, trying to fix the mess Chloe made of it.

"Why should I?" I snapped, anger and betrayal fuming in my chest, I grabbed the closest thing to me, which just so happened to be my favorite photo of Percy and I, and threw it at the wall. "Why don't you go back to Chloe? Seems like she want's you more than I do right now."

"Cel," He grabbed my wrist, "You're my girlfriend, she-"

Yanking my wrist from his grasp, I shrugged my coat back on, "Not anymore, so by all means, go back to whatever you were doing. I'm not going to stop you." My voice broke and I knew staying here wasn't going to help me.

"Wait! Please, let me explain." He begged, following me to the elevator.

"What is there to explain?" I screamed, the tears taunted me, threatening to pour out in any moment. "You cheated on me. After two years of 'I love you's and 'I'll never leave you' or 'I'll never hurt you'. What a bunch of crap, Percy."

Whispering, He stared at his feet, "I do love you."

I scoffed, "You've got one hell of a way of showing it." The pitch of my words rising as I spoke, tears forcing their way out of my eyes. Percy Styles placed a hand on my shoulder and spun me around. He pressed his lips against mine, cupping his hands around my face, and wiped the salty tears off my cheek, I wanted more than anything to melt into the kiss and forget that any of this happened.

But it did happen.

And I couldn't forget.

I shoved him away from me, and clutched the dragon pendant he made for me for our two-year anniversary just three weeks ago, careful not to break the leather cord. I felt so stupid for believing him. His promises of marrying me when the time was right. His promises of helping Payton, my sister's best friend, recover from Lung Cancer.

Most of all, I felt stupid for believing that he loved me as much as I loved him.

The metallic fenced door to the rickety elevator shut, and I watched the tears form in Percy's eyes, too, and just for a moment...

No. I wasn't going to cling onto "what if's". It was over.

So why did it feel like it wasn't?

The elevator screeched to a stop and I kept my head low, returning home dressed like I was, wasn't a good idea. Not if I wanted to keep my night job a secret so I didn't ruin my family's perception of me.

There was one place I knew I could always go, I drew my coat tighter, hiding my very much exposed chest, and ran through the streets as best as I could in heeled boots and through the middle of the night.

Fist knocking on the door I knew so well, I waited for Alessandra to let me in. Sure enough, my best friend was still awake. Alessa swung open the door, and with one look at my face she was engulfing me into a hug.

After she pulled away, the girl I knew since kindergarten looked me dead in the eyes, "What happened, Celaena?"

I shook my head, "Can I clean up some first?" My voice came out raw due to the crying that occurred during my travels. I was sure I looked like a raccoon. Alessa nodded and I removed my boots then trudged over to the bathroom.

Sure enough, mascara was streaming down my face, giving me the appearance of someone from a horror movie. Not to mention the fact that my eyes were bloodshot from crying. My usual stormy grey eyes looked dull and washed out and sunken in. I shut my eyes tight, wanting to forget this ever happened. To fall asleep in his arms while watching a movie again. To go back to the marital promises. To being happy, because I sure as hell was anything but happy.

I ripped open my bag and drew out some makeup removal wipes. Dabbing at my face until the cloth turned black, I tried to improve my appearance.

Then I saw it. The white, pristine letter peeking out. The Selection form. Prince Zachary was about to hold his Selection and I was eligible.

My hands snatching the bag, I departed from the solitary confinement of the bathroom and found myself face-to-face with an eagerly awaiting Alessa.

"I want to sign up for the Selection."

Katerina Angel Winslow, 6, Likely

I slipped on my clothes and looked back at my client, who was lying asleep. I wrinkled my nose in disgust as I quietly left the room and left the mansion. It was pitch black outside, probably past midnight, but my parents were used to me coming home this late every night.

I hated my job as an escort. It used to not be so bad, I just had to go to fancy events or go on dates, but nothing serious. Unfortunately, when I turned 18, the company I worked for started expecting me to sleep with my clients. I could never get over the disgusted feeling I felt afterwards. But it was my only choice. If my parents knew what I was doing, they would immediately force me to quit. But it wasn't that easy. With the amount of money I was earning, I could see my parents relax. As sixes, my family was pretty poor, and I was lucky to get such a well paid job. As much as I hated my job, it has really helped my parents financially. They are much happier than they used to be.

I patted my pocket to make sure I had the money I earned and walked back home through the seemingly abandoned streets. The lights in my house were all off, so I crept into the tiny bedroom I shared with my sisters and changed before slipping into bed.

The sunlight filled my room and streamed onto my bed. I yawned and stretched before getting out of bed. I brushed my messy golden curls and threw on a pastel pink skirt and white top. I paired it with white heels. From looking at me, most people couldn't tell I was a six. Thanks to my job, my clients took care of me pretty well and had to buy me nice clothes so I could accompany them to fancy events.

I went downstairs to the kitchen and handed my mom a wad of money before kissing her cheek.

"Good morning sweetie," Mom smiled and looked at me, her dark blue eyes filled with warmth.

"Good morning Mom," I replied.

"What, nothing for me?" Dad joked. I went over and gave him a hug before sitting down at the table next to Delaney.

"Kat, look at this drawing I made of you and me," Delaney bounced up and down with a paper in her hand.

I smiled at her innocence. Delaney was the baby of the family and was always happy. The picture had two stick figures standing outside in a meadow.

"It's beautiful," I told her sincerely. "You should put it up in our room."

"Really?" Delaney asked. I nodded and she raced upstairs. My older brother Graham came downstairs in his pajamas, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair.

"Hey Graham cracker," Dad greeted.

"Very funny Dad," Graham said before sitting down. Graham was the oldest child, and my only brother. He hated the fact I was an escort, and was extremely overprotective of me. We were pretty close.

My other sister, Mila, walked downstairs in one of my old dresses I had passed down to her. Mila was definitely the most girly out of all of us, and liked to fantasize about being a princess. She worked as a waitress.

"Good morning!" Mila bounced around the kitchen, giving everyone a hug. She sat down as Dad served everyone breakfast. My dad was the cook in the family, he really had a talent for it. Delaney bounded down the stairs and practically jumped into her chair.

"Oh shoot, I have to go soon. Some family of two's hired me to drive them to some charity event," Graham said, scarfing down his eggs and toast. He sprinted upstairs and returned a couple minutes later, wearing a suit and white driver gloves.

I always found it funny to see my brother in his uniform. His green eyes usually full of laughter were serious. He went from being funny and outgoing to quiet and reserved.

"Oh, by the way, some mail came for you Kat," Mom said, pushing a pristine white envelope in front of me.

I opened the envelope. I scanned through it quickly. "It's for the Selection," I said to the curious faces around the table.

"OMG! You're so lucky!" Mila exclaimed. "I wish I could be in it! Imagine living in the palace with all the food and dresses you could ask for!" Mila's face adopted a dreamy expression and she smiled.

This was an easy decision. If I got in, I could quit my job and still supply my family with enough money. I picked up a red pen and started filling out the form.

Soon, I was finished. I went upstairs to prepare myself for having my picture taken. I brushed my blonde curls again and smoothed them down. I applied light blush and lip gloss. I applied eyeliner and mascara to my bright blue eyes. I changed into a light blue dress and silver strappy heels. I picked up my letter and walked to the post office. The line stretched farther back than I could see and wrapped around the block. I waited in line for longer than I could keep track of. I went inside the post office and breathed a sigh of relief. I placed my form on the counter and sat down on the stool. "3...2...1…" The camera flashed its blue light and I stood up. I thanked the photographer and walked back home.

I crossed my fingers, thinking about the Selection. Being Selected would make my dreams come true.

 **HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, and/or submitted characters! Also thanks to everyone who submitted royal families.**

 **So far I have 15 character! I will be accepting 10 more. Also, if you still want to submit royal families, I am open to accepting them. Just PM me and we'll talk.**

 **We just won our first rowing competition! We didn't actually race, but we do this thing with our rival school where we row on rowing machines for 20 minutes and they average out our meters.**

 **Love you guys!**  
 **~Demigod18**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sabotage**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Selection**

Sawyer Lane Walsh, 5 Tammins

My face was dripping with sweat due to the incredibly bright stage lights. I could see the faces of hundreds of people in the audience, but I had to focus. This was the most dangerous trick in the entire show. Cocoa and I neared the flaming hoop, and  
I dug my heels into her sides. The majestic brown horse soared in the air through the hoop and landed on the other side.

I sighed in relief. Many people in the past had gotten severe burns from this trick. I led Cocoa to the middle of the stage and put on a bright smile. Everyone clapped and hollered. The curtains went down and Cocoa and I finally left the stage.

"Good job kiddo," my boss Grant congratulated me. "That's the first time anyone in the entire Starling Brothers Traveling Circus has done that, you should be proud."

I beamed, "Thanks." I jumped off of Cocoa's back and led her back to her stall.

"Good job girl," I murmured as I fed her a sugar cube. I gave her one last smile before closing the stall door and walking away.

I took off my show clothes and put on my jeans and t shirt. It felt so nice to be comfortable again. I waved goodbye to the rest of the circus members and headed home.

I walked past Tammins University and sighed longingly. It had always been my dream to go to school, but they didn't allow anyone under the caste of 3. The only possible way for me to get in was if I had enough money, which being a 5, was practically impossible.

I opened the door to find my older brother with clay covering his hands.

"Tom!" I cried, and jumped into his arms, not caring that they were covered in clay. "You're finally here!"

Tom marrie couple of years ago, and has rarely been in the house since, especially because he and Mom argue a lot.

We went into the kitchen where dinner was being served. My brother Atlas was bouncing off the walls, due to his ADHD. Mom was trying to calm him down and get him to eat his broccoli, but he refused.

Mom brought the food out to the living room, where Dad was watching the Report from a couple days ago.

"Hey Finn," Dad greeted. I went over to hug him. Dad called me Finn since he loved Huckleberry Finn.

I sat down and Dad handed me an envelope. "Did you hear about the Selection?"

"No, what Selection?"

"For the prince to find a wife. You are eligible."

"Why would I sign up? You know me," I said to Dad, shaking my head disappointedly.

"I don't know, maybe to gain money…" Dad suggested.

"You're a genius!" I exclaimed.

"I know, I've been told before," Dad replied. I rolled my eyes and punched him playfully in the arm.

With that, I got up and filled out my form, hoping I would be chosen. The Selection could make my dreams come true.

 **Prince Zack**

Tonight was the royal ball. The Swendish, Swiss, and French royal family were visiting. The Swendish and Swiss were cool, but the French were just jerks. They had some weird obsession with trying to take over Illéa from us.

I was dancing with Princess Julianna from Switzerland. I had known her since we were 7, and we were friends. Her long, bright, blonde hair cascaded down her back and her turquoise blue eyes were bright and filled with excitement. She was wearing a pale  
pink chiffon dress that showed off her curves and gold heels, which still didn't bring her to my height. I had to admit that she was pretty, but I definitely saw her as a friend.

Laughter and music filled the gigantic room. Flashes of colorful gowns flashed in front of my eyes. Glasses of champagne glittered under the bright lights. Princess Annika from Swendway was dancing with mybrother, Aaron.

"Let's go somewhere else," Julianna whispered into my ear. I nodded. We didn't enjoy these parties all too much, they were to boring and full of royals, most of which I didn't remember.

We quietly slipped out of the ballroom and went to the gardens. The moonlight reflected off of the fountain in the center of the flowers. We sat down on the edge of the fountain and sat in silence.

"Remember when we were younger and Sampushed you into this fountain?" Julianna asked.

"Yeah, he's always been a prankster," I replied. Julianna giggled. That day had been fun. All the children were running around in the gardens when Wyatt knocked me into the fountain. Dad had been really mad at him since the Report was right after and  
I had no time to change. I went into the Report room wearing a dripping wet suit.

I turned to look at Julianna, who was smiling. I smiled back and before I knew it, her lips were on mine. She wrapped her hands around my neck and deepened the kiss. I sat frozen on the fountain, shocked and unable to move. I didn't know what to think.  
I pulled away, and saw Julianna's disappointed face. "So I guess you don't feel the same way about me," she said, her eyes cast downwards.

I really didn't know. I had never thought of Julianna that way. Did I like her?

"I honestly don't know," I replied. I didn't want to make her sad, and Julianna and I were close enough that she needed to hear the truth. "But even if I did, I have a Selection to focus on. If I didn't choose any of those girls, the whole country would  
be mad."

"I understand," Julianna said, still looking disappointed. I felt a pang of empathy. I went over to give her a hug.

"Let's get back to the party, shall we?" I took her hand and we walked back to the ballroom.

What was waiting for us was not what I was expecting. Everyone was running out of the ballroom, and in the center was a large group of people dressed in black, all carrying guns.

 _Rebels._

I had had many encounters with rebels, but none this close before. We were usually in the safe rooms when they attacked.

Julianna gasped next to me. "It's okay," I whispered. "It's happened many times before. We'll make it out alive, just like we always do."

I almost screamed out loud. A gun was pointed directly at my mother's heart. "Oh my god, no, not Mom!" I whisper-screamed, hoping not to draw the attention of the rebels.

By now, most of the royals had escaped, but it was useless. Rebels had filled the halls, and gunshots were heard everywhere. Out of the corner of my eye, one of the duchesses of France fell backwards, blood pouring out of a wound on her chest. I stood  
shocked, and Julianna choked back a sob.

My eyes were focused on the gun pointed to my mother. I watched as the rebel pulled the trigger.

"NO!" I shouted and ran over to shield my mom. I was too late. Dad jumped in front of Mom and the bullet sank into his heart. My eyes widened. This didn't feel real, it was like I was in a dream. I was in too much shock to do anything.

Palace guards stormed into the room and shot the rebels. They dragged their bodies out of the room. Two guards came in and lifted my Dad's lifeless body onto a stretcher.

The last thing I saw was my Dad's limp body covered in blood before my vision went black.

 **Hey guys! I'm so sorry! I've completely been MIA for a while now. Now that school is over, I will hopefully be able to update a lot more often. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think.**

 **Thanks to** morethanjustastory **,** BellaRosa17 **,** wolfofstark **, and** Berrybush123 **for reviewing! You guys are amazing!**

 **Love you guys**

 **~Demigod18 :)**


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